Papua regions face forest fire emergency due to El Niño

Forest and land fires are threatening the Papua regions of Indonesia due to extreme drought conditions driven by a very strong El Niño phenomenon. In West Papua, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued an early warning following the detection of 268 hotspots. The districts of Teluk Bintuni and Fakfak have reached a ‘red’ status for fire risk, while visibility in Manokwari has dropped to 1 kilometer.

BMKG analysts indicate that the El Niño event is expected to persist until early 2027, compounded by a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and an active Australian monsoon. This combination has resulted in significantly hotter and drier weather across the province.

In South Papua, Governor Apolo Safanpo has increased government vigilance in response to the prolonged dry season. The provincial government is implementing a two-pronged approach: increasing public awareness to prevent land clearing through burning, and strengthening rapid response capabilities by mobilizing firefighting fleets and personnel to manage active blazes.